The Fundamental Flaw of the Neocons

War is bad. Lots and lots of innocent and great people get horribly hurt and killed. The survivors are psychologically mutilated for the rest of their lives. These are probably some of the reasons George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and the key neocons have successfully avoided being in one themselves. But what element is in the neoconservative worldview that makes them so cavalier and ready to start unnecessary wars for others to suffer in? Currently, the attention given to this gang of war pigs centers on their present and recent actions. But what isn't done often enough, is to examine the WHY of their deadly actions. Why do they push and prod American politicians into starting these wars? Why do they insist on an unbalanced US foreign policy in the Middle East that is unequivocally in favor of Israel and that is the cause of so much hatred towards us from the Islamic world? Even Michael Scheuer, the ex-CIA specialist on bin Laden and author of the outstanding book Imperial Hubris[4], stated in an interview[5] that bin Laden's Achilles heel is US foreign policy. Scheuer sees it as a threat to the US not only because of our unbalanced and unreasonable support of Israel, but also because of our support for corrupt Islamic regimes. One very important tool in achieving progress is reason. Without it, life soon becomes unbearable. As Ben Franklin said, 'Hear REASON, or she'll make you feel her.' The period when superstition through Christianity ruled Europe and extinguished reason is referred to as the Dark Ages. Belief in witches and demons were commonly held beliefs, promoted by revealed religion to spread fear and obedience among the population. During the Age of Enlightenment, people began to cast off their superstition with reason. The sciences flourished and blind obedience to royalty and monarchy began to fall. Reason produced revolution in both America and France. And the guiding hand of reason did not stop at politics, it reaches all parts of our lives, even religion. The neocons are working towards a world based on the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible. Leo Strauss, the father of the neoconservative worldview, believed society should be based on the teachings of the Hebrew Bible. He passed this retarding quality on to his disciples like Paul Wolfowitz and Richard Perle. Of course, the Hebrew Bible gives the superior position in society to those who wrote the Old Testament, the Hebrews/Jews. This explains the unreasonable fanaticism the neocons exhibit in their concern for the Jewish state of Israel. It explains why the US, under the direction of influential neocons, needlessly sacrifices its people and wealth in a war that offers absolutely no benefit to America, but only to Israel and politicians who are approved by Israel's lobby/interest group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee[6]. The fact that the neocons desire a world based on the Old Testament is a result of their, in my opinion, biggest flaw. That flaw is the rejection of reason and nature to make room for the Hebrew Bible and all its xenophobic, Jewish superstitions. One of the greatest causes for progress in society is free thought. This was practiced by the Greeks in a wonderful way. Socrates, for example, said, 'The unexamined life is not worth living.' Greek philosophy rejected accepting things as fact without first examining them and testing them for substance and truth. Based on this principle of reason, the world makes progress and improves. Strauss and the neocons, however, reject this most important ability of mankind. In his essay Progress or Return?, Leo Strauss states, 'Western civilization consists of two elements, has two roots, which are in radical disagreement with each other. We may call these elements . . . Jerusalem and Athens, or, to speak in nonmetaphorical language, the Bible and Greek philosophy.' Strauss and his followers are in strong agreement that the world would be better off following the Bible instead of reason-based Greek philosophy. Strauss and his neocons knew the Bible could not stand up to the honest test of inquiry and God-given reason, as the Greek philosophic tradition demands. Facts are important to reality and progress, and were and are, therefore, important to the real philosophers and to all who value improvement and progress. Strauss, on the other hand, wrote, 'One is thus led to say that the Bible contains both 'myth' and 'history.' Yet this distinction between mythos and logos; mythos and historie are of Greek origin. From the point of view of the Bible the 'myths' are as true as the 'histories': what Israel 'in fact' did or suffered cannot be understood except in the light of the 'facts' of Creation and Election.' Of course, the Bible story of creation is proven false, as is the Bible claim that God 'elected' the Jews to be above and better than everyone else on the planet, as they falsely claim in Deuteronomy 7:6[7]. The sharp divide between reason and superstition, in which the neocons embrace and promote superstition, is made more evident by the title of an essay by Strauss: Jerusalem and Athens. In this essay, he makes clear that fundamental characteristics of the neocons' worldview are fear and superstition. He writes, 'According to the Bible, the beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord; according to the Greek philosophers, the beginning of wisdom is wonder.' The world made great advancements under the Greek worldview of wisdom through wonder. Our wonder and questioning prompts us to investigate nature and our surroundings. This is how the sciences were developed. It is the cornerstone of all progress known to humanity. To do away with this by replacing it with fear of the Bible god would, eventually, do away with all progress and happiness. The neocons are well on their way to bringing about this capitulation of reason and progress to the fear and myth of the Hebrew Bible. The Greek and Roman philosophers loved nature. They looked at nature and the creation as evidence of a Designer/Creator. They appreciated being a part of nature, and were thankful for all that nature provides us. The Bible looks at what is known as nature as something to be exploited by humans, in particular by the Hebrews. (Based on many Old Testament writings, it appears the rest of mankind is here to be exploited by the Hebrews as well: Exodus 34:13[8], Deuteronomy 11:23[9], Deuteronomy 13:15[10], Isaiah 60:10-12[11].) Based upon the teachings of Strauss, the Bible and nature don't mix. He wrote in Jerusalem and Athens, '. . . the concept of nature is foreign to the Bible.' Any idea or worldview that rejects nature is worthless and can never produce progress. But, as Strauss pointed out in Progress or Return?, 'Judaism is a concern with return; it is not a concern with progress. 'Return' can easily be expressed in biblical Hebrew; 'progress' cannot.' The complete rejection of progress and the rejection of the Greek idea of wisdom through wonder makes Strauss and his neocon monstrosity a very real danger to the world. Already, the neocons have used the rejection of reason to start a deadly and unnecessary war in Iraq. They're on a mission from their Hebrew Bible god as revealed to them through Leo Strauss, to make the world Israel's footstool. Even though the mess in Iraq is getting worse by the hour, they're now taking action for a new war in Iran[12], which happens to be an enemy of Israel, just like Iraq was. Syria, another country Israel would like to see taken over by 'democracy' (a Judeo plutocracy) as is the case in the US and UK, is also on the short list of the neocon war machine. I've even heard talk by politicians on the news that would put Egypt on the hit list. The anti-reason mentality of the Bible is a Bible god sent to the neocons. The Bible toting politicians, the Bible thumping preachers, and the Bible believing misguided masses, all look to the Bible for guidance in our everyday lives. The Hebrew word chukkim[13] means a rule or law which has no reason. For example, the Hebrew law against wearing clothes made of both wool and linen. If you can get people to accept something as unreasonable as that, it then makes it easier for you to get them to swallow lies like the government did when it started a war in Iraq for no reason. (Actually, the reasons were Israel's security[14] and George's reelection[15], but for America and Americans, there was no reason for war with Iraq.) The Bible's lack of reason sets a precedent for the government to rule without reason. And they are doing it! As George officially takes office as President for another four years, the neocon cancer is spreading and taking a deeper root throughout America and the world. A sign of this fact is Bush nominating George Chertoff to run the powerful Office of Homeland Security. Chertoff is a staunch neoconservative and ardent follower of the Hebrew Bible (his father is a rabbi) who was key in writing the anti-freedom Patriot Act[16]. The neocon death grip tightens around freedom's neck. How many more will die until people begin to awaken to the neocons' superstition-driven war machine and the misery it's causing?